Overwritten.net
Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pugnate on Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 12:45:06 PM
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http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/30/airline.terror.scanners/index.html
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You've just now seen this for the first time? This stuff has been around at least a year now. I've already been through one. I don't care that much though because I'm pretty well-endowed and am not obese. However, if I had the dick of that guy in The Hangover, then I might be more upset about something like this. I imagine that the masses of 300 lb. American women feel pretty humiliated too (pun intended).
It's not that big a deal, really. You walk into a box, some air shoots out, some person in another city looks at the images, then you go through. Sure, someone somewhere saw a ghostly, colorless 3D silhouette of you naked, but oh well. Even if you are heavy or have physical features you're embarrassed about, think about the multitudes of other people that are even worse off than you are that these screeners have seen. Also remember that killer bodies are rare, not the norm.
As for trains, I once looked into taking a train to Chicago for a brief trip. Except for subways and light rail commuter trains like in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, trains in the United States have really died off as passenger transport. Due to this, I had never ridden one and thought I'd give it a shot instead driving my polluting car up there. According to the Amtrak itinerary, a single ticket to Chicago was like $110 and it would take 10 hours. I can drive there in 5 hours and the cost for gas would be cheaper in my car. After that one and only look at train transport in the U.S., I've basically written them off forever.
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Heh, I totally misread the title of this thread. I thought pug said he was going 'to train' as in working out and stuff. Then scott starts talking about the inconveniences of the train system and it seemed to be an awkward change of subject.
When I travel nowadays, it's likely by car if it is reasonable (<1 day commute). It's cheaper, and you don't have to go through the inconveniences of air travel, which are starting to grow substantially. That said, it is obviously impossible to travel by car everywhere. I'm not too concerned with this system they are implementing, that 1 person who is looking will be looking at blurry images of people all day.
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Airport security is way, way out of line with its perceived threats.
The train system in the US does suck, mostly since its so limited and doesn't look like anyone wants to expand it. So unless you're lucky enough to not live far from the tracks and that your destination also isn't far from the rails, you're kind of out of luck. Plus it seems for any of the long distance trains they only run one per day. So if you happen to live in an area where the train comes through at 4am (like Grand Forks, ND) then thats the only time you can get on.
But depending on the trip the price isn't so bad. To go from Chicago to San Fransisco its $145 each way. Thats a 50 hour ride that would take much longer by driving, plus all you have to do is lounge around instead of actually driving. Flying, as we established, is a pain in the ass. And I can travel round trip to SF via train for less than a one way flight.
It just matters if you can take the time. 50 hours isn't much more than 2 days, but it ends up feeling more like 3 since you get on mid-afternoon and get off in the evening hours. And thats each way. So when I go out to California for a week, it ends up being closer to 2 weeks due to travel time.
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50 hours?! That's ridiculous! I would never put up with that and would definitely fly in that case. I was only considering a train to Chicago because it's basically too close for air travel to make a lot of sense and a little farther than I like to drive these days.
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I don't care about myself really, but I travel a lot with my parents, and I don't think aged people deserve to go through this.
edit:
Oh and iPPi, that's pretty funny. :P
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The train system in the US does suck, mostly since its so limited and doesn't look like anyone wants to expand it.
Actually there are plans to install high-speed rails in the near future.
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"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-- Benjamin Franklin
"When even one American -- who has done nothing wrong -- is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."
-- Harry S. Truman
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government -- lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
-- Patrick Henry
Amazing how much has changed.
I won't deal with this much crap to go on a fucking bus that can fly.
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Actually there are plans to install high-speed rails in the near future.
From what I've read the high speed rail would be for shorter distances, like a commute from Boston to New York or something. Still good, but having a cross-country high speed train system would be more useful.
Ok, more useful to me, heh. If you could travel to CA in a couple hours instead of a couple days I think people would be much more likely to take the train.
50 hours?! That's ridiculous! I would never put up with that and would definitely fly in that case. I was only considering a train to Chicago because it's basically too close for air travel to make a lot of sense and a little farther than I like to drive these days.
Well I don't have the extra money to fly, and I'm in a position to take the extra time. Plus growing up to go visit family it was usually a 12 hour drive, so I'm used to long travel times. I wouldn't mind flying but I can't afford it, plus the security stuff is a hassle and a joke. Plus new fees for baggage and stuff, getting to the airport hours early to get through security, etc. Just not interested.
I just get on the train with my bags, no security checks or whatever. Just stash them down below, head up and pick a seat and spend the next couple days reading or playing videogames. Or talking to other passengers if they weren't scared of me.
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Ok, more useful to me, heh. If you could travel to CA in a couple hours instead of a couple days I think people would be much more likely to take the train.
Well I don't have the extra money to fly, and I'm in a position to take the extra time. Plus growing up to go visit family it was usually a 12 hour drive, so I'm used to long travel times. I wouldn't mind flying but I can't afford it, plus the security stuff is a hassle and a joke. Plus new fees for baggage and stuff, getting to the airport hours early to get through security, etc. Just not interested.
I agree that flying is a hassle and the flight itself is usually the part that takes the least amount of time but man at most you'd lose a day going from Chicago to San Francisco. 50 hours... I still can't believe anyone tolerates that. I guess it comes down to what's more scarce: time or money. However patience has to factor in there somewhere too. I could go crazy sitting on a train for 50 hours. There is no way I could handle it.
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Full body thermal scanners that detect possible swine flu which kills about as many people as the normal flu=cool
full body xrays that detect bombs and guns and shit to kill people=not cool?
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What if people decide to smuggle aboard penis-shaped weapons? They wouldn't know the difference.
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But Ghandi, for some, isn't their penis a weapon anyway?
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A deadly weapon by any standard. I shouldn't be allowed to go anywhere at all.
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My he rest in peace. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1_bvXMlxHs)